Dewey Auto Group

Mercury was its own division at Ford until 1945 when it was combined with Lincoln into the Lincoln-Mercury Division, with Ford hoping the brand would be known as a "junior Lincoln", rather than an upmarket Ford. Mercury, like the defunct Edsel, was created from scratch, rather than being a takeover of an existing company like Lincoln. Mercury's heyday was in the 1950s, when its formula of stretching and lowering existing Ford platforms was very successful. Mercury sales peaked in 1978 at 580,000 and again in 1993 at over 480,000.

Since then, sales have declined by more than half to roughly 200,000 annually. During the last few years, Mercury's range has become quite small and very similar to those sold under the Ford brand. Ford recently ended speculation about the future of Mercury by making the brand part of its new small-car strategy.  According to the current strategy, larger Mercurys will be phased out in favor of Lincoln vehicles. The current Milan will remain as the largest Mercury. The brand will instead offer Lincoln/Mercury dealers a line of upscale small vehicles that are not appropriate for the Lincoln product portfolio

Find Used Mercury Cars in Iowa

The Mercury Milan is a long time favorite among used car shoppers looking for an affordable, upscale, and reliable sedan. Thanks to this mechanical heritage, the Milan provides nimble handling and adequate interior space for five adult passengers. The main difference between the two cars is that the Milan is more upscale in appearance and typically comes with more standard features. The Mercury Milan debuted as an all-new model for the 2006 model year, so consumers may want to look at these is they want the latest innovations and style. A DVD-based navigation system first appeared on the accessory list in 2007, and the optional Microsoft Sync system was first offered in 2008.

On the other end of the spectrum of used cars is the SUV. The Mercury Mountaineer has always been a solid choice within the midsize SUVs used market. Although the Mountaineer is mechanically identical to the Ford Explorer and shares its trucklike chassis construction, Mercury has attempted to differentiate it over the years by specifying more standard amenities, softer suspension tuning and all-wheel drive instead of traditional four-wheel drive. There have been a number of equipment changes to the Mercury Mountaineer since the current generation's 2002 debut, so it is important to take a close look at each model year if purchasing one. The original Mercury Mountaineer's seating comfort and cargo room were always competitive, and its repair record stands above GM or Jeep's entries.